A few weeks back in Yellowstone, thanks to our awesome drivers, my group and I had an incredible experience. We heard that the Wapiti pack of wolves had been spotted the night before, so we woke up early and headed out in hopes of seeing them.
We saw the wolves a few times, but the terrain was tricky, so we didn’t get any great photos. We decided to have lunch near a spot where we had seen the pack split up. A great decision! The wolves gathered, and we found a perfect spot to watch and photograph them, we saw 14 in all but rumor had the count at 22 or 23. It was an absolute thrill for everyone.
I must say, there were a lot of people, snowcoaches, and snowmobiles there. Many of the observers had never seen a wolf in the wild before, and some even had tears of joy in their eyes.
The wolves were crossing the geyser basin when some approached Flood Geyser. At times we could see them clearly, and then they were covered in the steam of the geyser. One moment they were visible, and the next they vanished. When the steam cleared, they were in a new spot in the basin. The most incredible moment was when the steam disappeared, and two wolves were close to the geyser, with the vapor surrounding them.
Processing the image: I was a bit worried that my focus wouldn’t stay on each wolf, so I took a bunch of shots, focusing on each one separately. Then, I combined two of the images to get a better shot of both wolves.
This round’s discussion is now closed! 10 comments posted
Ginny Salus
Barbara, I love this. The Mist/fog makes for a perfect background and framing. The two wolves being different colors adds to the interest. Posted: 03/02/2025 11:11:57
Barbara Eddy
Hey Ginny! I'm so glad you like this image. The mist/fog was a double-edged sword. I didn't like it when the fog covered the wolves, making it hard to get the camera in the right spot when it cleared. But on the bright side, it really added a lot of interest to the photo. And you're absolutely right - the different colors of the wolves made it even more interesting. I also love that each wolf has a unique eye color. Thanks a bunch! Posted: 03/07/2025 13:24:58
Richard Camp
I'm jealous! What a special moment for any wildlife photographer. And you got the shot! Also great example of pre-visualizing what can be done in post processing. Posted: 03/07/2025 12:32:06
Barbara Eddy
Hey Richard, don't feel jealous! You know how sometimes you have your camera gear ready and nature just gives you a special treat? Well, that happened to me on this day. I'm so excited that I got some shots of this magical moment. Thanks a bunch for your kind words about my pre-visualizing my post-processing. Posted: 03/07/2025 13:33:23
Janet Pieper
This is so striking. The fur is very detailed and has a lot of depth. I love the soft background framing them. To me, the best part of this is the eyes. You have just the right amount of brightness, they draw you right into the picture. It would have been tempting to overdo it, over saturate, but you didn't. Beautiful! Posted: 03/08/2025 17:36:06
Barbara Eddy
Hey Janet, thanks for your feedback! You're absolutely right; I could have processed the image differently. I was tempted to boost the saturation, but I realized what really drew me to the scene was the softness created by the steam from the geyser. I couldn't resist Mother Nature's charm and let the image stay soft like I saw it. Many thanks! Posted: 03/09/2025 13:09:13
Janet Pieper
This is so striking. The fur is very detailed and has a lot of depth. I love the soft background framing them. To me, the best part of this is the eyes. You have just the right amount of brightness, they draw you right into the picture. It would have been tempting to overdo it, over saturate, but you didn't. Beautiful! Posted: 03/09/2025 08:48:41
Frans Gunterus
Hi Barbara. I have been making comments to our friend images here in DDG 90. I can be very naive. I would bluntly say ... please review what Barbara has posted this month here. This is really the style that I love so much. Soft, blur and mesmerizing background with partially and graduated sharpness of the animal fur and ultimately move to the animal sharp eyes! Excellent example. No complain. Just two 'like' thumbs up! :) Posted: 03/16/2025 23:05:22
Howard Frank
Incredible capture Barbara. The sharpness, color and detail are just astounding. You were so fortunate to be there for this amazing capture. I looks like a pencil drawing. The eyes are wonderful. Posted: 03/23/2025 16:55:03
Ginny Salus
Any chance they know each other? Posted: 03/26/2025 21:34:24
